e-Governance in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board

To provide better services to pilgrims visiting the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has launched a number of e-Governance initiatives

Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary to Hon’ble Governor of J&K; CEO of Amarnath Shrine Board & Vaishno Devi Shrine Board
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) launched its first informative website in the year 1999 after acquiring the domain www.maavaishnodevi.org. Later on, in the ear 2003, SMVDSB decided to re-launch its new website with the online services and Payment gateway Integration with Citibank.
After acquiring a dedicated server in USA for hosting the official website, SMVDSB decided to re-design, up-grade and re-launch the official website www.maavaishnodevi.org. Since the year 2012, the following services are being provided through the online system:

• Room Booking
• Donation
• Poojan
• SSVP
• Helicopter Services
• Yatra parchi
• Attka Darshan
The new website of SMVDSB is having HDFC payment gateway facility with Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protection installed on it for safe and secure online transactions.
The new website is very dynamic, user friendly and interactive. It provides wide rage of information to the devotees visiting the holy shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji. It also provides information regarding the Tenders, Advertisements and Donation schemes in SMVDSB.
For wide publicity of Tenders, SMVDSB has also acquired a portal from Tendercity (Indiatimes) group

New initiatives
Various other initiatives that have been taken over the years to bring more
comfort to the pilgrims include the following:
• Installation and Management of Exchange Server for E-mail accounts on the domain maavaishnodevi.org. Viz. heldesk@maavaishnodevi.org,
admin@maavaishnodevi.org & online@maavaishnodevi.org . These E-mail accounts are being used for interacting and providing information to the devotees.
• Acquiring and management of 100 e-mail accounts on the server hired from M/s Rediffmail for better inter-office communication between various units and officials of SMVDSB.
• Web based Mini-YRC application for providing free Yatra Registration facility at various counters viz. Vaishnavi Dham, Saraswati Dham, Niharka and through various Hotels in Katra.
• Web based Yatra Parchi Module for providing Yatra Registration facility at various counters viz. Airport Jammu, Vaishnavi Dham& Saraswati Dham.
• Setup of Yatra Management System (YMS) for better management of Yatra Registration at YRCs and Verification Systems at Banganga (Parchi Check Post).
• Digitalisation of Board meeting Software viz. designing of more than 45000 pages and integrate them with the index pages for easy visualisation/printing.
• Installation and commissioning of PVC ID Card System for printing of
secure ID cards for Staff and Donors.
• Installation of Video Conferencing System at Central Office.
• The System division has been efficiently providing I.T training from time to time. IT training has been imparted to more than 1000 officers/officials of Shrine board till date. Study/course material for training has also been printer and made available to the Officers/Officials of Shrine board for reference.

• 10mbps (1:1) Internet Leased Link at SMVDSB from M/s Bharti Airtel Ltd. • 04 Mbps (1:1) Internet Leased Link at SMVDSB from M/s Reliance Communication Ltd. • 3G Internet Data Card has been made available to the various units on the track for fast inter office communication. • Installation and Management of Proxy Servers for providing Internet services to various units in Katra and Bhawan.

Hardware in SMVDSB • Installation and maintenance of 280 Computers and 177 printers. • Installation and maintenance of 07 servers along with server applications. • Installation and maintenance of more than 35 router, switches, E1 converters and hubs etc.

Future Projects
• Introduction of Heavy Server for better
management of IT activities in SMVDSB.
• Comprehensive networking of all establishment
of SMVDSB.
• Software up-gradation in various units of
SMVDSB.

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